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annathechaoticreader's review
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Booktok very much over hyped this. It was a very okay novel, I can't think of anything it did wrong or to justify a lower review, but I also can't think of anything it did particularly well. It was mildly disturbing and made me stop and think a couple of times but not all that life/perspective changing. If you tend to like dystopian fiction and are newer to the genre, I think it's worth a try, but beware booktok strikes again, go in with lower expectations than I did.
Thoughts Upon Reflection:
The book is very heavy handed about its eating meat=bad beliefs which I found exhausting. At many times throughout the story I found myself shouting "OH MY GOD I GET IT!!! MEAT IS MURDER. JUST TELL ME THE STORY" into the void. It makes very weird parallels that I don't agree with and there was next to no room for nuanced discussion. I will say its possible that because it is a translated novel that the above issues only apply to the English translation and that its a fault of the translator rather than Augustina.
Another issue I have is that to me none of the characters actually felt like fleshed out people, rather just objects things happen to/around. The main characters motivations make no sense (especially in the second half), where he doesn't even feel like a person, you don't really get to know him and then what little you do gets completely contradicted in the second half of the book. I can't even call it character development because it feels like he sees one shitty thing than a switch flips and he's completely different. Through the whole time reading, I did not feel any type of way towards any character, I didn't care about any of them which made it hard to care about the novel. When I first finished it I felt no type of way but the longer I've had to sit with it, the more I'm growing to dislike it. The worst part is that it could have been so good, with some more nuance and character development it would have been a very interesting story!
There is also a graphic sexual assault scene which I wish I had known about going in. As a surviver of S/A I try to stay away from novels with it unless I've had time to prepare and be in a good headspace to consume it. So a completely RANDOM S/A scene that doesn't matter to the plot really caught me off guard and almost immediately ruined the book. I'm fine with assault scenes if and only IF it is important to the plot/character development. My problem is when its thrown in to demonstrate a character being shitty or for shock value, which I feel is the reason it was included in Tender Is The Flesh; if you removed the whole chapter it would make absolutely no difference and THATS where I have the problem.
People call it a horror novel when its really not, its a dystopian and while not a huge issue, it just sets up expectations that it doesn't live up to! It felt a lot more akin to books like the Handmaids Tale than those in the horror genre. So if you want a horror novel, probably don't pick this up but if you want a kinda disturbing, dark dystopian then maybe this will be your book!
Graphic: Gore, Body horror, Violence, Torture, Rape, Murder, Animal death, Slavery, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Physical abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, Pregnancy, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, and Classism
hawkbloc's review against another edition
Graphic: Cannibalism, Child abuse, Murder, Torture, Sexual violence, Dementia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Body horror, Child death, Excrement, Sexual content, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, Blood, Suicide, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, and Misogyny
anissawren's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Gore, Slavery, Physical abuse, Torture, Confinement, Animal death, Death, Child death, Medical trauma, Pandemic/Epidemic, Animal cruelty, Grief, Body horror, Murder, Sexual violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Trafficking, and Violence
Moderate: Infidelity, Pregnancy, Dementia, Miscarriage, Infertility, and Abortion
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Xenophobia, Terminal illness, Pedophilia, and Racism
nazariaag's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Gore, Blood, and Animal death
vinise's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Trafficking, Violence, Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, Infertility, Pandemic/Epidemic, Slavery, Cannibalism, Colonisation, Genocide, Sexual assault, Body horror, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, and Torture
ashlynregan's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Infertility, Gore, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Trafficking, Violence, Murder, Pregnancy, Death, Rape, Animal death, Child death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Cannibalism, Body horror, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Death of parent
bookwormbarber's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
The entire first half of the book is world building, and this world is f*cked and let’s just say I’ve never been more happy to be a vegan while reading a book.
The rest of the plot seemed really disjointed and rushed. I know there’s probably deep messages about humanity, loss, and grief, but the graphic cannibalism over shadowed that a bit, you know?
Graphic: Gore, Death, Cannibalism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, and Body horror
Moderate: Sexual violence, Slavery, Child death, Genocide, Grief, Pregnancy, Dementia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Torture, Medical content, Murder, and Rape
zsnails99's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Body horror, Gore, Dementia, and Death of parent
poisonousdart1's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Torture, Body horror, Gore, Cannibalism, Murder, Confinement, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexual violence
writingcaia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I have no words.
This book is so thought provocative. I’m disgusted and appalled. Can I understand the motivations, the conditioning, the falling of all that makes us human? I can’t but I can totally see it happening.
The parallel between the institutionalised cannibalism and our current meat industry is undeniable, but it goes further.
It’s also a story of grief, of conforming, of madness and wrong decisions. And, the writing, the beautiful lyrical way of showing the worst, is amazing.
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Torture, Blood, Cannibalism, Grief, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Dementia
Minor: Trafficking, Infertility, Excrement, and Rape